Newbie question: staying calmly behind glider tug

I'm planning to join the local soaring club and had my first ride last
weekend. I was eager to take the controls while being towed and was
enormously humbled by the experience.

I've had my ppsel for several years, but do not have many hours under
my belt. Never the less, I was looking forward to this and thought:
How difficult could it be? No P factor, just hang in there behind the
tug.

I was embarrassed. I could not keep the glider (a Blanik) anywhere
close to remaining calmly behind the tug. I was all over the sky and
was acutely aware that I must be yanking the tug's tail back and forth
and up and down.

Three times I was rescued by the guy giving me the ride, although by
the last time I was beginning to understand that the tow rope itself
could bring the nose back.

I had not prior instruction before the ride, I really thought it would
not be a problem. BZZZZZT wrong.

Once we cast off, holding headings, holding airspeed and just keeping
the wings level wasn't a problem. I was astonished at how far we
could travel at 60 mph without seeming to loose much altitude. Heck,
I've lost more altitude than that when I was flying cross country and
TRYING to hold my cruise altitude. :-)

One of the more expert glider pilots reassured me that all first
timers have the same problems, and told me that I should concentrate
on holding the wings the same as the tug, and using the rudder to stay
behind it.

I wasn't doing it that way, I was sawing back and forth with the stick
and getting into all kinds of trouble.

I'm eager to try again, but I thought I'd drop in here and ask how
folks stayed behind the tug... If you all can remember back when you
were at my stage. ;-)

Thanks, Corky Scott

Glider instructors have lived this scenario for years:

The Schweizer just would not stop moving around behind the Cub. Left,
then right and always up. Push-then too low, ease off the stick,
then too high. The glider moves first to one side and then with a zoom
across to the other.

"I've got it. Look at how my wings are parallel with the tug.
Your airplane."

In the USA, the primary means of towing a glider is called aero-tow. A
slow speed, relatively high-powered tow plane is attached to the glider
with a 200-foot length of rope that meets regulatory strength
requirements. The glider then flies a formation take-off and climb to
a suitable release point. Even for experienced transitioning pilots,
this maneuver is nearly as difficult as landing. In those first
several attempts, students end up in an ever-increasing departure from
the center.

Like most pilots, one of my initial challenges in learning to fly
gliders was mastering the aero-tow. As a CFI, I see my own
difficulties reflected in current students as they fight the controls
seeking the dead-weight spot where the glider just follows behind the
tow-plane. The dead-weight spot is the point where the glider is
imparting no other force on the tow plane other than the weight of the
glider. Any displacement from this spot makes the tow more difficult
for both the pilot of the glider and the pilot of the tow plane. When
conducting flight tests, I see many problems from applicants during
their demonstration of the Areas of Operation relating to Aero-tow.
Since control of the glider while on tow is a requirement, it carries
some weight on the outcome of the flight test.

Nearly all two place sailplanes are constructed with a tandem
configuration. This adds some difficulty to training, especially with
the topic of transfer of control. A good preflight briefing settling
this is essential.

In conducting the preflight briefing, I follow the order of the flight
beginning with the take-off, through the various maneuvers, and ending
with the release from the tow plane. For the take-off, the dead weight
example holds. We balance the glider on the main wheel until airborne,
adjusting for any cross wind by crabbing so that no additional side
load is imposed on the tow plane during his take-off run. There is a
strong tendency for the glider to climb after lift-off as the tow
imparts the same force on the glider similar to running with a kite.
Were the glider to climb too high, the nose of the tow plane would be
driven into the ground causing at a minimum a longer than normal
take-off roll and a lecture from the tow pilot after your return.

Students will suffer tunnel vision when under stress. This becomes
evident while flying tow as the student becomes so fixated on the tow
plane and maintaining relative position that he will not see even the
horizon beyond. In order to maintain relative position behind the tow
plane, the controls of the glider must be operated not for coordinated
flight, but only to maintain position. Ailerons are used to match the
tow plane's bank. Any divergence from the tow plane bank will cause
lateral displacement, as the horizontal component of lift will rapidly
overpower the stabilizing force of the tug of the rope. Some
instructors will use the phrase in this case of "level your wings,
steer with your feet" to indicate that the wings of the glider are
not parallel to the tug. Too much bank in a turn relative to the tug
will result in the glider falling inside the turn and below the normal
tow position with a resulting slack towline, while too little bank in a
turn will result in the glider accelerating around the tug and climbing
above the normal tow position.

Relative height behind the tow plane is maintained with the elevator.
The typical training glider in the USA is the Schweizer 2-33. When the
2-33 is towed, it is flying at a speed that is nearly 40% above normal
design flying speed. This will cause a need for constant forward
pressure on the stick in order to prevent climbing well above the tow
plane. Lateral position is maintained using the rudder-not the
ailerons. At any one time, the controls in the glider are being
utilized to maintain position, not necessarily coordinated flight. The
goal is to merely be pulled up as dead weight.

Displacement from the normal position will eventually result in a slack
line and if the slack is not carefully removed a broken towrope will
result. It is for this reason that the PTS requires a demonstration of
slack line recovery. It goes without saying that any slack that
develops not be allowed to foul the glider, so move away from any loop
that develops. The action of moving away will tend to remove some of
the slack. At this point the tow plane is relieved of the dead weight
of the glider and will accelerate. Since the glider is not currently
being pulled by the towrope, it will decelerate. If no further action
is taken, and no other force applied that increases slack, such as
turbulence; the slack will just go away. Any attempts to force a
reduction in the slack by using an excess of drag will cause the rope
to snap taught and possibly break. The PTS standard for the performance
for aero-tow is only smooth and effective use of the controls.
Snapping the rope would not be very smooth.

During the typical glider flight, the tow is approximately 5-7 minutes.
This concentrated time can make students confident for the remainder
of the flight or distraught over earlier performance. Consider staying
on tow a little longer on later flights in order to give your students
more time. When I was a student, a long cross-country tow finally
solved my problems with the tow.

Dead-weight is just a figure of speech. I have already been corrected
on that!

Terry

The answer is (surprize!) practice.

Initially you get thrown around as you described. Then you actually
begin to fly behind the tug. Later you'll find yourself staying in a
reasonable position, ceasing to endager yourself and the tow pilot.
Still later, you'll stay in that position even in turns. First in
shallow turns, later in steeper turns, too. Gradually your yaw string
will stay more and more centered. And someday you'll stay behind the tug
even in moderate turbulence. But it's a long way to go.

Stefan

wrote in message
...

I was embarrassed.

Don't be! I have brought ATPs back down drenched in sweat after a quick
initial lesson. I quickly learned to prepare such students for what usually
happens so they would not feel humiliated if they could not immediately perform.
I have had a few that could stay in position behind the tow plane on the first
try...damn few. IMO Instrument time and helicopter time seems to help because
they teach you not to over control.

I could not keep the glider (a Blanik) anywhere
close to remaining calmly behind the tug. I was all over the sky and
was acutely aware that I must be yanking the tug's tail back and forth
and up and down.

Perfectly normal. Sooner of later you acquire the proper circuitry between
your eyes, your brain, your hand and your feet. Then you will wonder why it was
ever an issue.

Three times I was rescued by the guy giving me the ride

Only three times? That is actually pretty good!

I have never had a student who could not eventually learn to do a safe tow.
I had a hard time myself.

Vaughn



, although by
the last time I was beginning to understand that the tow rope itself
could bring the nose back.

I had not prior instruction before the ride, I really thought it would
not be a problem. BZZZZZT wrong.

Once we cast off, holding headings, holding airspeed and just keeping
the wings level wasn't a problem. I was astonished at how far we
could travel at 60 mph without seeming to loose much altitude. Heck,
I've lost more altitude than that when I was flying cross country and
TRYING to hold my cruise altitude. :-)

One of the more expert glider pilots reassured me that all first
timers have the same problems, and told me that I should concentrate
on holding the wings the same as the tug, and using the rudder to stay
behind it.

I wasn't doing it that way, I was sawing back and forth with the stick
and getting into all kinds of trouble.

I'm eager to try again, but I thought I'd drop in here and ask how
folks stayed behind the tug... If you all can remember back when you
were at my stage. ;-)

Thanks, Corky Scott

wrote:

I was embarrassed. I could not keep the glider (a Blanik) anywhere
close to remaining calmly behind the tug. I was all over the sky and
was acutely aware that I must be yanking the tug's tail back and forth
and up and down.


I was glad to read that--I thought it was just me.
I was glad to read that it is common--I thought it was just us.
I received my ppasel and thought the gliders would be an easy add-on.
I never worked so hard in my life! My first flights were in a Grob
103, and I was all over the sky! Several times I nearly passed the
tow-plane and the instructor was in the back seat yelling
"yeeeeeehaaaaawwwww".


Two flights and I had the cockiness knocked out of me, and settled down
to learn. Went pretty well after that. And I firmly believe that
flying gliders makes a power pilot even better.

Coming in to land, once in the pattern you learn the meaning of
"committment".

I was embarrassed. I could not keep the glider (a Blanik) anywhere
close to remaining calmly behind the tug.

Welcome to adverse yaw :-).

In 10 years of instructing, I've had exactly 2 power transition
students manage the tow with only verbal assist. It wasn't pretty, but
the job got done.

After a while, you'll realize that with a nose hook on aero tow, the
glider really wants to fly behind the tug and if it ain't doin' that,
it's you :-).

Tony V.

In article ,
wrote:

One of the more expert glider pilots reassured me that all first
timers have the same problems, and told me that I should concentrate
on holding the wings the same as the tug, and using the rudder to stay
behind it.

I wasn't doing it that way, I was sawing back and forth with the stick
and getting into all kinds of trouble.

I'm eager to try again, but I thought I'd drop in here and ask how
folks stayed behind the tug... If you all can remember back when you
were at my stage. ;-)

I can remember it. With zero prior flying experience, my instructor
threw me into the tow on my second flight. That was in a Blanik L13,
almost the same as you flew. I was all over the place at first but
pretty soon was able to follow the tug. But I had no idea where we
were, where the airfield was, or whetehr we were at our planned release
height yet. After a few more flights the concentration required for
following the tug decreased to the point that I had time to look at the
altimeter and notice where we were. And a while after that I had time
to look at clouds, and the vario, and figure out that maybe it was a
good money-saving idea to get off tow early in a thermal. It gets
easier and easier.

About staying behind the tug ... I don't recall ever being taught to use
the rudder for steering while on tow. It was fly coordinated with the
string in the middle at all times.

If you get off to the side, or high or low, the *important* thing is to
stop the divergence and get flying parallel to the towplane again.
Bringing it back into the middle is very much a secondary concern and
doing it gradually is fine, as long as the trend is in the right
direction. But when I bring it back into the middle I was taught to do
it using normal, coordinated turns, aileron and rudder together, but
with only a small angle of bank and you need to start turning back the
other way well before you get halfway back into position. And remember
that you don't just have to get the wings level with the tug. If you do
that then you'll be flying straight, but out towards the other side.
Say you're out to the right already flying parallel to the tug 9you've
fixed things up that much already). During getting back into line you
need to spent about 25% of your time rolling left, then 50% of the time
rolling right (25% getting wings level, then 25% starting a turn to the
right), then the final 25% rolling left to get wings-level again. Like
most of these things, once you "get" it you just do it and don't have to
think about it any more.

--
Bruce | 41.1670S | \ spoken | -+-
Hoult | 174.8263E | /\ here. | ----------O----------

Let's see, take two wildly different aircraft, tie them together with a 200
foot rope and go fly formation. Sounds like an airshow act.

Bill Daniels


wrote in message
...
I'm planning to join the local soaring club and had my first ride last
weekend. I was eager to take the controls while being towed and was
enormously humbled by the experience.

I've had my ppsel for several years, but do not have many hours under
my belt. Never the less, I was looking forward to this and thought:
How difficult could it be? No P factor, just hang in there behind the
tug.

I was embarrassed. I could not keep the glider (a Blanik) anywhere
close to remaining calmly behind the tug. I was all over the sky and
was acutely aware that I must be yanking the tug's tail back and forth
and up and down.

Three times I was rescued by the guy giving me the ride, although by
the last time I was beginning to understand that the tow rope itself
could bring the nose back.

I had not prior instruction before the ride, I really thought it would
not be a problem. BZZZZZT wrong.

Once we cast off, holding headings, holding airspeed and just keeping
the wings level wasn't a problem. I was astonished at how far we
could travel at 60 mph without seeming to loose much altitude. Heck,
I've lost more altitude than that when I was flying cross country and
TRYING to hold my cruise altitude. :-)

One of the more expert glider pilots reassured me that all first
timers have the same problems, and told me that I should concentrate
on holding the wings the same as the tug, and using the rudder to stay
behind it.

I wasn't doing it that way, I was sawing back and forth with the stick
and getting into all kinds of trouble.

I'm eager to try again, but I thought I'd drop in here and ask how
folks stayed behind the tug... If you all can remember back when you
were at my stage. ;-)

Thanks, Corky Scott

Stefan wrote:

The answer is (surprize!) practice.

I would add - "and proper instruction". Practicing poor technique will
mean a long time learning. So, find a good instructor if you can, and
read the towing section in soaring manuals several times.


Initially you get thrown around as you described. Then you actually
begin to fly behind the tug. Later you'll find yourself staying in a
reasonable position, ceasing to endager yourself and the tow pilot.
Still later, you'll stay in that position even in turns. First in
shallow turns, later in steeper turns, too. Gradually your yaw string
will stay more and more centered. And someday you'll stay behind the tug
even in moderate turbulence. But it's a long way to go.

Not so long if the instruction is good! My instructor was not very
experienced, and taught a poor technique. By the time time I was an
instructor, I could teach a student much more quickly than he did when
he taught me.

I realize "long" is undefined here, and Stefan and I might be talking
about the same amount of time. I think he will agree with the importance
of a good instructor in speeding the learning, however.

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA